It may be fun to get those bottles popping’ right before a party – but have your friends been telling you that you might be overdoing it?
Alcohol addiction is a very serious and common condition that effects more people than one would imagine. Some people drink to ease themselves into social situations, but often times they may not recognize that this consistent trend can make them alcohol-dependent, causing them to drink whenever they go through problems, big or small. What is even scarier is that many people do not realize they have a problem until it is too late. So, here are seven telltale signs that will help you recognize if you or your friend is falling into alcoholism:
1. You drink when you first wake up. When the first thought is on alcohol that means it has already consumed your body, which leads into the next sign…
2. Your body has developed a physical dependency on the alcohol so much that your body cannot function without it. So much liquor has consumed you that now it is functioning as a part of your body.
3. You feel guilty after you drink. If you are always regretting something you have done while you’re drinking (fighting, cursing, yelling, etc.)
4. You feel uncomfortable in social situations so much that you feel you need to drink in order “loosen up.” Your personality has adapted and trained to think for you and carry your personality.
5. You drink alone. You can feel comfortable by yourself thinking and drinking away your problems.
6. Your drinking is messing up relationship with friends and/or family. You have displayed destructive behavior so much that now it is starting to affect the people closest to you.
7. If you are reading this trying to figure out if you have a drinking problem. If you have to question being an alcoholic or even think that you have a problem, you probably do. Remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem.
Even if you find out you have a drinking problem, it is not the end of the world. There are so many steps in helping you overcome your problem and with the help of friends and family, the journey could be a lot less rocky.
The first step to solving the problem is admitting you have a one. You should talk it over with your family or someone that you trust so that it will be an open issue that they can help you with and hold you accountable too. You are going to need the support.
Consider attending your local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Another option would be to go to a Rehabilitation Center. Many of them help you alter your emotional habits and relationship towards drinking, which can help you rebuild your life. You may think that drinking is okay, but it can lead to much worse problems like substance abuse, which often triggers a mental health issue.
Don’t be afraid to identify your struggles or to reach out to a friend. With the right help and support, you or she can overcome it.
